Age Range: 3-5 Skills/Subjects: Creative Thinking & Problem Solving Dramatic Play & Creative Movement Life Skills Math Related Episode: Lost! Taking a Ride Take a pretend trip on a bus or train Materials large piece of cardboard marker stickers toy bus Directions Take an imaginary bus or subway ride with your children. Make a map: Draw a floor map on cardboard showing your house and the place you're going. Let your children use the stickers to make bus-stop signs that they can place along your route. (You could also provide clay, sticks, tape, oak tag, and small boxes or blocks so children can add trees, signs, and buildings to the road map.) Get ready to go: Let your children know that you're going for a pretend bus ride together. Prepare them for the trip by singing and acting out the verses below (to the tune of "The Wheels of the Bus"): Pay your money when you get on the bus, get on the bus, get on the bus. Pay your money when you get on the bus, to ride around the town. Sit in the seats when you ride on the bus, etc. Count three stops as you ride on the bus, etc. Take a ride: Drive a toy bus along the map. Chant directions together: Everybody on the bus! Stop number 1! Stop number 2! Stop number 3! Everybody off the bus! We're at the park! Talk About It Ask your children what they know about taking the bus or the subway. Talk to them about the different activities involved, such as buying tickets, making sure you're on the right bus or train, pulling the bar to signal for the bus to stop, giving up your seat for the elderly or disabled, etc. Take It Further Plan a real trip with your children using public transportation. As you ride, observe landmarks and other items of interest. Based on an activity in Play and Learn with Arthur, Volume 1 Home / Friends / Games / Print / Find / Parents & Teachers / Need Help? Visit POSTCARDS FROM BUSTER All characters and underlying materials (including artwork) © Marc Brown. "Arthur" and "D.W." and all of the ARTHUR characters are trademarks of Marc Brown. © 2009 WGBH